


not a date

by supernovas



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Avatar Femslash Week, Canon Lesbian Relationship, Canon Queer Character of Color, F/F, Gay Bar
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-03
Updated: 2015-08-03
Packaged: 2018-04-12 18:03:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4489392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/supernovas/pseuds/supernovas
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Asami takes Korra out to a bar for her 21st birthday. This is just a friendly thing. Definitely.  —Korrasami, feat. obviously bisexual Korra in denial, supportive avatar Krew, and a Disney-inspired lesbian bar.</p>
            </blockquote>





	not a date

**Author's Note:**

> hey y'all!! this is for avatar femslash week (day 1, prompt: Modern AU.) sorry this is late.  
> also in case it's not obvious warning for alcohol mentions.

It’s nearly midnight and Korra’s working on a history reading when she gets the text.

 

_Asami: hey your bday is tmm right?_

Korra grins like a complete idiot and drops her textbook.

 

_Korra: yeah_

_Asami: you’re turning 21?_

_Korra: yep!_

_Asami: sweet, ill take you to a bar and you can try some alcohol to celebrate_

_Korra: sami ive been drinking since i was like 16_

_Asami: fine ill take you to a bar and you can try some legal alcohol to celebrate_

_Asami: unless you’re busy?_

_Korra: no no im not busy_

_Korra: what time_

_Asami: like 8pm ok? i can meet you outside your dorm._

_Korra: awesomeee_

 

She puts down her cell phone and fist pumps the air. She’s going to a bar with Asami Sato. _Asami Sato!_ It’s going to be totally awesome. Because anything with Asami Sato involved is totally awesome. It’s, like, Newton’s fourth law of physics or something. Korra’s not sure. She doesn’t pay a lot of attention in physics.

 

Her history textbook stares up at her, but Korra’s too focused on other things (like her 21st birthday and Asami Sato) to think about history right now. She slams the book shut, turns off her light, and goes to sleep, still wearing that ridiculous Asami-induced grin on her face.

 

\---

 

Calculus class runs from three to five in the afternoon, and at six she’s going out with Mako and Bolin and Opal and Jinora for dinner. It’s not until near the end of dinner when she’s telling them about her plans for later that evening that she realizes something.

 

“Wait, so you’re going out with Asami?” asks Opal.

 

“Yeah!” says Korra. “Well, not like, going _out_ going out, but— oh, _shit_.”

 

Jinora seems to be stifling a smile with great difficulty, while Bolin snorts and dissolves into helpless laughter within seconds.

 

“Um, where are you going?” asks Mako.

 

“A bar,” answers Korra. “She didn’t invite any of you?” she adds, horrified. They all shake their heads.

 

“Which bar?” Jinora says.

 

“I don’t know. She didn’t specify, just told me she’d pick me up at eight.”

 

“Korra, I think she’s asking you out,” says Opal slowly.

 

“Well,” Korra says quickly, “maybe she’s just being friendly, you know, because it’s my birthday and we’re friends, right—”

 

“Look, Korra,” Jinora says. “She’s into girls, and so are you, and you’re both girls. She’s picking you up and taking you to a bar. That’s pretty much a date.”

 

“But I didn’t tell her I’m bi,” Korra whispers loudly.

 

Mako groans and throws his hands up into the air. Jinora sighs. “Korra, it’s very possible that she… guessed—”

 

“Korra, you watch women’s soccer, for Raava’s sake,” Opal cuts in.

 

“So?” Korra demands, immediately on the defensive. “Mia Hamm is _hot_!”

 

“ _Spirits_ ,” moans Opal. “This is exactly what I mean.”

 

“Um, guys?” says Bolin. “What time is Asami picking Korra up?”

 

“Eight,” says Korra.

  
“Well, it’s seven forty-five already,” Bolin says hesitantly.

  
  
“Crap,” mutters Opal. She stands up abruptly and nods at Bolin and Mako. “Jinora and I are gonna take Korra back to her room. Can you handle the bill?”

 

“Oh, sure, leave it to the guys to pay,” Mako says sarcastically. Opal smacks the back of his head, but pulls out her wallet to throw down a few bills; Jinora does the same.

  
“Um, guys, I don’t need both of you to take me back,” Korra begins, but Jinora’s already shoving her out the door, and Opal says, “We’re dressing you up. No arguments.”

 

Korra shrugs and lets her friends drag her back to the room and get her ready. By the time Asami knocks they’ve just finished, and Korra smiles uneasily as she opens the door for her not-date.

  
“All set?” Asami asks. She beams at the two girls sitting on the bed. “Hey, Jinora, Opal.”

 

Korra nods and begins to follow Asami out, but stops at the last second. “You guys wanna come?” she asks Jinora and Opal.

 

Opal shoots her a death glare, while Jinora quickly replies, “Oh, no, you two go have a good time without us!” Korra gives them an awkward grin and shuts the door. She doesn’t see the look of relief on Asami’s face.

 

\---

 

Korra’s never been to a bar quite like this before. Its name is Never Never Land, and she’s trying to put her finger on what’s different about it (besides the fact that it’s named after a location in a Disney movie? Or is it all the plaid? The leather jackets?) when she realizes what it is.

 

The bar is occupied solely by women.

 

Sure, some of them may dress like men, but when one of the more masculine patrons approaches her and introduces herself as Denise, she quickly realizes that they are not, in fact, men.

 

“This is a _lesbian_ bar?” she whisper-shouts to Asami, who’s sipping a margarita in her casual Asami way. The bartender stares at her for a whole second before she bursts into raucous laughter, and Korra has her answer.

 

After the initial shock wears off, though, Korra finds herself becoming more comfortable. She’s never been to a place where nobody is straight, and it’s refreshing to know that not only is everyone there okay with the fact that she likes girls, but that all of them know exactly what it’s like to be in the same situation. She even meets a fellow women’s soccer fan and talks to her for a bit about her favorite teams and players.

 

The one awkward thing is that it leads to a lot of assumptions when women see her talking to Asami. She’s been asked more than once now if Asami is her girlfriend, and when she answers, blushing, that no, they’re not dating, the woman will go ahead and make flirtatious conversation with Asami. Somehow this always makes Korra’s stomach knot up, but she blames the beer.

 

It’s nearing midnight and Korra’s beginning to feel a bit tipsy when Asami asks her if she’s ready to go home; Korra nods and Asami leads her to the door, saying goodbye to the bartender and some of the women as they go.

 

Once they’re outside, Asami asks, “So, what’d you think?”

 

“Gay,” is the not the first thing that Korra means to say, but it’s the first thing that comes out of her mouth.

 

Asami laughs, and Korra absentmindedly thinks that Asami’s laugh is like sunshine on a cloudy day, or a light in the darkness, or some other poetic shit like that. She can’t think straight right now. “Yeah, it’s kind of a lesbian bar, Korra. A lot of gay stuff going on in there.”

 

Korra nods quietly, but inside she feels as if she’s bursting with confusion. Asami seems to notice, and she asks, “What’s up with you?”

 

“I’m just—” Korra stops, trying to figure out how to word this right. “I mean, I’m just confused, because, like, is this a date, or are we just— well, I’m not sure if you’re just being a nice friend or if you actually like me, like the way the girls in there like each other, or—”

 

“Korra,” says Asami, and they both stop walking. Asami cups her cheek with one slender hand and kisses her gently on the mouth. “Does that clear things up?”

 

Korra feels the smile growing on her face. “Yeah,” she says, slowly. “Yeah, it does."

 

**Author's Note:**

> basically one time i went out with the girl that made me gay but neither of us said it was a date and we never did it again and i'm still not sure whether it actually was a date or not and that inspired this fic.  
> my tumblr's @sapphicwhirlwind if you ever wanna chat!


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